The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-09
GETTING INTO SOCIETY.
The Battle for Social Position Fought by
the Children of Rich Fathers.

very tragic elements. 1t is a process
which goes on in all countries, but no.
where else, perhaps. on go grand
scale or with so much intensity of pur-
pose as in the United States. The "a
pidity with which money is made and
lost in this country produces two con-
slant streams of people, one finding its
way over various distractions into
fashionable circles and the other
descending from those lofty heights
into the regions of clearinghouse and
shabby gentility. Among us the battle
for social position" as it is called. is
fought almost entirely by the children
of rich fathers whose fortunes have been
acquired in middle life. and this brings
about abnormal family relations. The
willingness of the American parent to
be efaced has its pathetic. perhaps one
might even say its heroic side, and yet
it may be doubted if the children really
gain, whereas it is certain that the
parents lose by this abrogation of their
proper authority.
Not long ago. among the questions
that were asked in the correspondence
column of a weekly paper which does
excellent service as an instructor in
etiquette, there was one from 4 young
girl who wanted to know what she
should call the author of her being:
Was it proper to say pa" or papa"
or, more severely, father" She never
thought of asking him which term he
preferred, and it did not occur to her
as worthy of consideration that he was
accustomed to be addressed as father"
and had used that word as child him.
self. She was haunted by horrible
suspicion that father" was regarded
as vulgar by certain people. Such a
household as that to which this young
inquirer belonged must have become a
mental and moral chaos. The children
have no principles or traditions to
guide them. A Baptist, Methodist or
orthodox" Westinghouse is aban-
dOned for a pew in some fashionable
church. A new house and new furni-
ture are bought, and frantic efforts are
made by the children to achieve some
''social success" while the ''old people"
look on almost in terror. The mother
becomes a cipher until illness or some
other evil befalls the family, keeping
herself humbly in the background. and
leaving to her daughter the reception
of callers and guests. The father also
hands over the reins of government to
his daughters in all matters except the
business to which the family owes its
advancement. There is in his attitude
even touch of humility which. under
most circumstances, is very foreign to
the American nature. He cherishes,
no doubt, lingering fondness for old
customs, old ideas. associations and
friends, and he looks back, with Il long
ing that he does not acknowledge even
to himself, upon his early and less
prosperous days. ....., d.. .,...
Nevertheless. there is tacit, but con-
slant admission on his part that the old
ways are something to he ashamed of,
and to be put aside; he submits meekly
to every innovation, knowing that it is
dictated by that vast, awful, vague and
mysterious power called Fashion, of
which he has lately begun to hear. This
dreadful authority has its source, he
suppOses, somewhere in Fifth avenue or
in Queen Victoria palace, and with it
his children have established, in a man
ner Uncomfortable by him, certain real,
though distant relations. In its first
days of magnificence a family of this
kind is harassed with difficulties The
very tails of the horses bother them
ought they to be worn banged or bobbed?
They stand in awe of the butler, and
accept his suggestions with docility
which soon ruins his character as a |
servant. They have but one question,
rs to book, a piece of furniture, a
dress, dish, or custom-is it the
latest thing? They would strew their
floors with rushes, rs was done in the
middle ages, or keep hyena as a
drawing-room pet if they could be per-
suaded that such practices were 'the
Style" 1t is curious fact that the
same qualities which in the father have
made the fortune of the family, are
often employed in the person of daugh-
ter to futher its social ambition. Girls
VIGOROUSLY take after their fathers. and
not infrequently, in fighting their fem.
mime battles, they find ample scope for
the courage, enterprise and tact which
they have inherited.
What is TO be inferred from this I
readiness of the American father to
abandon his traditions, and launch out
upon an unknown sea of difficulties,
under the guidance of his children? II
indicates nimbleness and
of mind. and unselfshness OF
character, but it betrays, perhaps, a
want of solidity. 1t violates the law OF
A man ought first of all tc
be true to himself. He who selects, OF
permits to be selected for him, houses,
furniture, acquaintance, habits and
dinner hour, merely because certain
other people approve of them, forfeits,
in a measure at least, his own self-re-
spect as well as the respect of others.
The sacrifice is greater than American
children should ask for, greater than
American parents should grant,
Simon Willard. in The Epoch. /
Writing of the Deranged.
The manuscripts of neuroDstbs-a